Gas-engine.



C.LATTA.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25, 1914.

1,173,815. Patented Feb.29,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. I? x 53 W WWW THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

C. LATTA.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

C. LATTA.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION H LED MAR. 25; 1914- I 1, 17 3 81 5. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

THE COLUMBIA PLANUGRAPII co.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

- C.LATTA.

GAS ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 25. 1914.

1,173,81 5. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

g7 WW6! W17,

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON. n. c.

CHARLES LATTA. OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GAS-ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

Application filed. March 25, 1914. Serial No. 827,123.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, CHARLES LATTA, a citizen of theUnited States, residing in the city of St. Louis and Stateof Missouri, have invented a new and useful Gas-Engine, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to gas engines of the type including Working pistons, and pumps for delivering gas to the piston cylinders, and consists more particularly of improvements in ,the valve mechanism by which the supply. of gas is controlled in passing from the carbureter to the opening parts of the engine.

An object of the invention is to produce an improved engine of the type mentioned embodying a crank shaft driven by the pistons, and a rotary valve disk mounted on and driven by the crank shaft, with provision whereby the disk will control the flow of gas to the pump devices and to the working piston cylinders.

.Another object is to improve the construction of gas engines embodying working pistons and pump pistons connected to the same crank shaft, by generally re-arranging and ire-organizing the construction and arrangement of the parts so that the greatest strain and force in the operation of the en-.

gine will be received upon the parts of maximum strength.

Other objects will be made apparent by the following description of the invention, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a view, partially in elevation and partially in section, of an engine assembled and re-organized in accordance with the principles of my invention, and embodying.

my improved valve mechanism. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the engine cylinders, illustrating the arrangement of the passages from the valve mechanism to the cylinders of the working and pump pistons. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the engine illustrating the arrangement of the cranks on the crank shaft. Fig. 4 is a front side elevation, of the valve mechanism case, the crank shaft which extends through said case being in section. Fig. 5 is a view of the disk valve, the front part of the valve case being removed, and illustrating the valve in position against the inner or rear partof the of the corresponding working piston.

valve case. Fig. 6 is a View illustrating the interior construction of the inner or rear part ofv the valve case. Fig. 7 isa View illustrating the exterior surface of the inner part of the valve case. Fig. 8 is a sectional view approximately on the line 88 of Fig. 4. Fig. 9 is an irregular sectional view substantially along the line 99 of Fig. 4.

The cylinders are included within an engine case 1 which is rigidly secured to the upper part of a crank shaft case 2. The crank shaft case is provided on its opposite ends with very substantial bearings 3, and is also provided with an intermediate bearing 4 in alinement with the end bearings 3. A crank shaft 5 is journaled in the bearings 3 and 4 and, in the embodiment shown, is

provided with two working piston cranks contributing toward maximum strength and durability. The pistons 9 are connected to the cranks 6 by piston rods 10, so that the crank shaft 5 will be driven by operation of the pistons. In the embodiment illustrated there are two working pistons 9, but it is obvious that the number of working pistons employed may be varied without departure from the spirit of the invention. For each of the working pistons there is a pump piston 11, the latter being mounted in suitable cylinders 12 intermediate of the working pistons. The pistons 11 are connected with the cranks 7 by piston rods 13. The various cranks are suitably arranged so that each pump piston 11 operates in advance Thus, a suitable arrangement consists in arranging the pump piston cranks 6, ninety degrees in advance of the corresponding working cranks. A water jacket space is formed intermediate of the casting 1 and the various cylinders inclosed therein for the circulation of the cooling water. On an extended portion of the crank shaft the valve mechanism which constitutes an impe -ta nt feature of the present invention is mounted. The valve mechanism includes a plate in the form of a disk 14: mounted upon the shaft 5. Keys 15 are seated in grooves in the shaft 5 and in notches in the disk valve 1 1, so that said valve will be driven with the shaft 5. The valve is mounted in a suit able case consisting of a front or outer part 16 and a rear or inner part 17 The part 17 of the valve case is rigidly secured to some stationary part of the engine and is provided with a central opening through which driven by the crank shaft of the engine for controlling the supply 'of gas from the carbureter to the pumps and from the pumps to the working piston cylinders.

It will be understood that the pumps operate to draw the gas from the carbureter through the valve into the pump cylinders 12, and operate further to force the gas from the pump cylinders through the. valve into the working piston cylinders, the single disk valve controlling the gas. from the carbureter enters the valve case through a passage 18 which opens into di- -vergent passages 19 and 20 which are for the purpose of supplying gas to the two pump cylinders, respectively. It will be observed that the passage 19 is nearer the periphery of the disk 14: than is the passage 20. The passage 19 delivers gas to a suit. able passage leadlng'to the nearest pump. 'cylmder 12, whereas the passage 20 dellvers gas to a passage leading to a'more distant pump cylinder, the supply of the gas to both pump cylinders being controlled by the disk valve 1 1. The valve 14 is provided with a passage 21 (Fig. 5) which is concentric with respect to the arcuate passage 19; and said valve is provided with another passage 22 which is concentric with the arcuate passage 20.

The inner or rear part 17 of the valve case is provided with a passage 23 which is concentric with the axis of the valve disk 14. The passage 23 matches the passage 19 from the point a to the point I) (Fig; 6), that is, through the length of the passage 19 there is a corresponding passage 23 on the opposite side of the valve disk. For a distance from the point a a web 24 separates the further extension of the passage The gas v 23 from the valve disk. The extent of the web 24 is somewhat in excess of the length of the passage 21 through the valve disk, so that said passage 21 will be out of communication with the passage 23 during movement of said passage 21 from the part 23 of the passage 23 to the main part of said passage 23. 7 After the passage 21 has moved from communication with the part 23 of the passage 23, to the side of therweb 24, the further movement of the valve disk moves the passage 21 from the web 2 1 into communication with the main part of said passage 23, as will be apparent by referenceto Figs. 5 and 6. The extended portion of the passage 23, for convenience to. distinguish said extended portion from the main por tion ofsaid passage, is indicated by 23. The passage 23 has an outlet 25 into a passage 26 leading to the nearest pump cylinder 12. V

From the foregoing it is obvious that during movement of the passage 21 fromthe pointer to the point I; (Fig. 6), the'pa ssage 19 will be incommunicationwith the passage 23 through said passage 21. Since the length of the passage 19 is only slightly less than semi-annular, it is obvious that the supply of gas is in communication with the pump cylinder duringapproximately each entire downward stroke of the pump piston.

Thus, during each downwardmovement ofv the pump piston 11 gas from theparbureter is drawn into the pump cylinder 12 through the passage 19 and thence through the valve passage 21 into the passage 23 andthence into the passage 26 into the pump cylinder. After the passage 21 through the valve disk is closed by passing beyond the ends of the passages 19 and 23, to cut off the supply of gas to the pump cylinder, communication is effected between the pump cylinder and the adjacent Working piston cylinder, so that the gas which had been drawn into the 'pump cylinder will be forced or pumped into the working piston cylinder by the upward movement of the pump piston. Separated from the passage 19 a pasage 27 is formed in the front or outer part 1 6 of the valve case, opposite from the extended part 23 of the passage 23, so that when the valve 1 1 has moved the passage 21 around to thesaid passage 27 communication is effected from the pump cylinder to said passage 27. This communication is effected during the upward movement of the pump piston-so that the gas which had been drawn into the pump cylinder will be forced therefrom through the passage 26 and through the communication formed therewith by the part 23 of the passage :23 opening through the passage' 21 into the passage 27 A passage 28 leads 7 from the passage 27 to thepiston cylinder 8 with which the pump now being described cooperates, so that'the gas will be forced from the pump cylinder into the cooperating working piston cylinder. This operation by which the gas is forced into the working piston cylinder occurs during the upward stroke of the working piston 9, after the cylinder has been flushed to remove the products of the previous explosion, andafter the piston has closed the exhaust outlet from the cylinder. At the proper time after the passage 21 has moved beyond the passages 23 and 27 the explosion is eifectedby the usual spark plug 29*. This operation is repeated during each revolution of the crank shaft.

The rear or inner part 17 of the valve case is provided with a passage 29 which is similar in function to the passage 23, and is provided with an extended part 29: The passages 29 and 29 cooperate with the passage 22 to effect communication between the supply of gas from the carbureter and the other working piston cylinder in the same manner that communication is effected with one of the working piston cylinders through the passages 23, 23 and 21. The passage 29 communicates with its proper pump cylinder through a passage 30 in the valve case and a passage 31 leading from the passage 30 to the pump cylinder. The communication is open and the supply of gas is drawn into the pump cylinder during the downward movement of the piston 12 in said pump cyl inder, and during movement of the passage 22 from the point 0 to the point (Z, that is,

while the passage 22 is in communication with the passage 29 in advance of the web 32 by which the passage 22 is closed While passing from the passage 29 to the passage 29. Communication from the pump cylinder to the working piston cylinder is effected when the passage 22 communicates with the passage 29*, at which time the passage 22 also communicates with a passage 33 in the front or outer part 16 of the valve case. A passage 34 conducts the gas from the passage to the working piston cylinder, so that the operation in these respects is similar to the operation hereinbefore described in respect to one of the pumps and Working pistons. The explosion is effected after the passage 22 moves from the passage 29 and is closed by the web 82. After the passage 22 is carried beyond the web 32 into communication with the passages 29 gas is again drawn into the pump cylinder until the passage 22 moves beyond the closed end of the passage 29. This operation of admitting gas into the pump cylinder and ejecting the gas from the pump cylinder into the working piston cylinder and effecting an explosion is repeated at each revolution of the valve disk. In englnes of this character there 1s more or less VlblatlDIlOf the mechanlsm, lncluding the crank shaft, due to the explosions of the gas in the cylinders. In order to prevent the transmission of this vibration directly to the valve disk, so that the valve disk may conform in its vibratory actions in movement of the case in which it is inclosed. The twocase members are provided with chambers to permit slight axial vibration of the crank shaft and the keys 15, with respect to the valve and the two members of the valve case. Thus a considerable amount of thevibration is absorbed or lost Without affecting the valve case and the valve.

The working piston cylinders are flushed after each explosion by air forcing the products of explosion out through suitable flushing passages 36.

The preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated includes the rotary valve mounted on an integral portion of the crank shaft, and revolving at the same speed as the crank shaft revolves. It is obvious that my invention is not limited in its essential particulars to this arrangement, but that there may be various modifications and alterations in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I do not limit myself to the specific features and arrangement illustrated and described, but contemplate the use of any suitable or preferred equivalent constructions, to be determined by preference, or by the environments in which the engine may be used.

WhatI claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An engine, comprising a cylinder, a working piston mounted in said cylinder, a pump cylinder at the side of and parallel with said first-namedcylinder, a crank shaft driven by said piston, a valve case including outer and inner walls through which said crank shaft extends, a passage for admitting gas into said case, a separate passage from said case to said pump cylinder, a separate passage from said case to said working piston cylinder, a single valve member on said shaft within said case, and means whereby said valve member will control the admission of gas into said case, the passage of the gas from said case to said pump cylinder, and the passage of the gas from said pump cylinder to said working piston cylinder through said case, substantially as described. r

2. An engine, comprising a plurality of parallel working piston cylinders, a piston operating in each of said cylinders, a separate pump cylinder at the side of and parallelwith each of said piston cylinders, a crank shaft'driven by said pistons, a case having outer and inner Walls through which said crank shaft extends, separate passages for admitting gas to said pump cylinders,

V respectively, separate passages for admitting gas to said piston cylinders, respectively, a valve disk mounted on said crank shaft between the walls of said case through which said crank shaft extends, and means whereby said valve disk will control the admission of gas to all of said pump cylinders through the separate passages leading thereto, and from said pump cylinders to all of said working piston cylinders through the sepaeach of said pumps, a separate passage from said case to each of said cylinders, a valve mounted on said shaft within said case between the inner and outer walls thereof, means for driving said valve by said shaft, and means whereby said valve will control the admission of gas to all of said pumps through the said passages leading thereto, and from said case to all of said cylinders through the said passages leading to said cylinders, substantially as described.

4 In an engine, the combination with a workingpiston cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a crank shaft case, a crank shaft journaled in said case and driven by said piston, and a pump device for forcing gas into said cylinder, of outer and inner case walls outside of said crank shaft case through which said crank shaft extends, a passage for admitting gas into said case through one of said walls, a separate passage through one of said walls to said pump device, a separate passage through one of said walls to said cylinder, all of said passages being wholly outside of said crank shaft case, a rotary valve slidably keyed on said crank shaft between said case walls, and means whereby said valve will control the passage of gas into said passages, respectively 5. In an engine, thecombination with a number of working piston cylinders, working pistons mounted in said cylinders, a

pump device for each of said cylinders, and a crank shaft driven by said pistons, of a case having outer and inner walls through which said crank shaft extends, a passage from said case to each of said pump devices, a passage from said case to each of said cylinders, a passage for admittinggas into said case, and a valve disk mounted on and rotating with said crank shaft between said outer and inner walls of said case and provided with passages for controlling the admission of gas to said pump devices, and

from said case to said cylinders, respec tively, substantially as described.

6. In an engine, the combination of a series of working piston cylinders, a working piston in each of said cylinders,ra pump de-- vice for each of said cylinders, a crank shaft case, bearlngs ln'said case, a crank shaft ournaled in said bearings and driven by said pistons, a valve case wall. through-' which said crank shaft extends, a second valve case wall through which said crank shaft extends secured to said first-named wall, said two walls forming a valve case,

passages from said valve case to said pump intermittent communication between the passages to said pump devices and the passages to said cylinders, respectively, substantially as described 7. In an engine, thecombination of a piston cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a crank shaft driven by said piston, a valve case wall through which said shaft extends, a second valve case wall through which said shaft extends, a valve, through which said shaft extends mounted between said walls, a passage opening through one of said walls for delivering gas through said valve, a passage from one of said walls to said cylinder, both of said passages being controlled by said valve, a key for driving said valve from said shaft, and means pre: venting the transmission of the vibration of said crank shaft to said valve.

8. In an engine, a piston cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a crank shaft driven by said piston, a valve case wall through which said shaft extends, a second valve case wall through which said shaft extends, means holding said two walls together, a valve disk through which said shaft extends mounted between said walls, a key for driving said valve disk with said shaft and permitting lateral movement of said disk with respect to said shaft, a pump device and passages controlled by said valve disk for controlling the admission of gas to said pump device and to said cylinder through said valve, substantially as described.

9. In an engine, the combination of a piston cylinder, a piston mounted in said cylinder, a crank shaft driven by said piston, a valve case wall through which said shaft extends, a second valve case wall through which said shaft extends, means In Witness whereof I have signed this holding said Walls together, avalve mounted specification in the presence of two sub- 10 between said Walls and driven by said shaft, scribing Witnesses.

a passa e controlled by said valve for admitting gas to said cylinder, and means pre- CHARLES LATTA venting the transmission of the vibration of Witnesses:

said crank shaft to said valve, substantially A. E. LATTA, as described. R. M LAWRENCE Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

